The Building Champions Podcast

If you enjoy The Building Champions Podcast, we think you'll really like Daniel Harkavy's new interview-style podcast. He interviews leaders from organizations like Home Depot, Meijer stores, JP Morgan, Chick-fil-A and many more! Learn what shaped them as a leader. Join Daniel as he questions what makes a leader truly great. Subscribe to the Questioning Leadership podcast. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at: www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

How do you find the balance between thinking enough of yourself to leverage your talents and abilities, but not too much that you become arrogant? In leadership, finding the balance in humility is key. Timberline Lodge ski and ride school director, Steve Muise, teaches those new to skiing and snowboarding how to achieve and maintain balance. Strength and flexibility are needed to keep you from tumbling down the mountain when hitting rough terrain. Learn how you can apply Steve's balance tips to your own journey toward becoming a humble leader—leverage your strengths with confidence and you will positively impact those around you.  For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at: www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

We so often view stress as bad, the negative thing in our life that disrupts our desire for comfort and ease. But what if stress actually serves as a motivator—inciting us toward health and growth? If we strive to avoid stress at all times, are we choosing comfort at the expense of change and progress? Personal trainer and competitive power lifter, Brooke Rooney, explains how stress is foundational to strength training. You must continue to introduce new exercises and work different muscle groups to get stronger. By changing our perspective towards stress, we can view it as an opportunity to become healthier—both physically and mentally. Learn how you can apply Brooke's strength training tips to your own leadership and welcome the stress that comes with growth. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at: www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

Basketball is a strong link game—teams can be built around the star player. Soccer is a weak link game—teams need qualified players in all positions in order to be successful. So what does this concept teach us about building our own teams and cultures? Learn from soccer coach Tracy Nelson of Portland Thorns Academy as she explains that building a winning soccer team requires not only skill, but chemistry, character and culture. You can't just pick a star player and jeopardize the culture if they break apart the entire team. A successful team leverages individual strengths—and aligned towards a shared goal, they can win. Learn how you can apply these same principles to build stronger teams that deliver better results. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at: www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

As strange as it may be, research has shown that shared painful experiences actually promote stronger relationships, increased trust and willing cooperation. Can shared experiences then—both good and bad—bond teams together to create an environment for success? Andrew Paul shares how the intensity of his Navy SEAL training fostered deep connection within his team—causing them to think less about themselves and more about each other. This shared experience of suffering formed a team of people who began to see each new obstacle as a challenge to overcome—together. Learn how you can apply this idea to your own team and build resiliency within your organization. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at: www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

In today's modern world, we hear lots of talk about focusing on strengths—and for good reason. But what if our weaknesses are so big they actually cancel out our strengths? In those cases, the weaknesses can severely limit our leadership effectiveness—they can't be ignored. The head of engineering at Daimler Trucks North America, Rainer Mueller-Finkeldei, explains how a single point of failure can cause an entire system to come crashing down—and how to recognize and avoid that by better understanding multiplicative systems. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at: www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

Feedback can be both scary to give and get, but when delivered in a healthy way and received with an open mind, it can be key to growth. It is important to fight the fear of feedback so you can be the best version of yourself and coach your teammates to be their best—this will not only accelerate development but will move the organization forward. Join us as Tristen Collins, Licensed Professional Counselor, Adjunct Professor and Co-Author of book, Why Emotions Matter, helps us better understand fear—the psychology behind it and how it impacts our ability to both give and get feedback. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at: www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

Beliefs come before behaviors. Our inner thinking drives our outer actions—both in business and life. Just as healthy thinking can help you make disciplined and positive choices, faulty thinking can cause an emotional and physical response that differs from how you really want to be living. Join us as Dr. Karl Kaluza unpacks how symptoms are indicative of a greater root issue—and how our thinking and believing can impact our behaviors—affecting our capacity to positively influence those around us. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at: www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

We're back! We're excited to announce Season 3 of The Building Champions Podcast. As always, our goal is to use a combination of interviews and storytelling to bring a unique and fresh perspective on leadership topics, to help you improve both how you lead and live. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at: www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

Right now our people are experiencing unprecedented amounts of change and uncertainty. Rather than shying away from these conversations, great leaders press in to help their people navigate these challenging times. In this bonus episode, we'll provide you with practical tips and insights to help you coach your people more effectively during this season. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at: www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

Leading in a time of crisis is more complicated and difficult – especially in how we think and react. The pace, the pressure, the uncertainty, the confusion – they are all enemies of sound thinking. In order to lead effectively, leaders must fight through the confusion and uncertainty to focus on what matters most right now – and lead in a way so that their people can do the same. Join us as Todd Mosetter and Daniel Harkavy unpack a framework that can be applied in crisis to help you make better decisions, maximize your influence and achieve greater results. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at: www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

It's hard to believe, but this is the end of season 2 of The Building Champions Podcast.  In this bonus episode, we recap the season's journey, and look ahead to next season. We'll be back soon with Season 3! See you then. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

Meetings are an essential part of everyone's work experience. But unfortunately many of us have come to view them as a necessary evil. They're something we begrudgingly schedule on our calendars and then dread attending because they often seem unfocused, unnecessary and unhelpful. For leaders looking to boost organizational culture and performance, focusing on improving the way we do meetings can be a game changer. Join us as Todd Mosetter and Daniel Harkavy sit down to discuss why our meetings can suck, and what leaders can do to make them great. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

With leadership comes power, and as a leader, your decisions and behaviors can have a profound impact on your team and your organization. But one power that leaders wield which often gets overlooked is the power we have to influence and develop our team members through our belief in them. And in all walks of life, from the boardroom to the classroom, research and experience have proven that people flourish and perform at their best when they have leaders in their lives who believe in them. Join us as we hear from award-winning school counselor Kirsten Perry about how the simple act of believing in someone—and communicating that belief in tangible ways—can transform their life and their work. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

Results and relationships. Too often, leaders hold them at odds with one another. Either we focus so much on getting stellar results that we neglect building the trust and relationships that are necessary for succeeding as a team, or we focus so much on relationships and making sure everyone gets along that we shy away from the hard conversations and holding one another accountable to our shared goals. But the best leaders know that for a team to truly succeed, results and relationships have to go hand in hand. Join us as we talk with Heather Leachman-Beck, Director of Workplace Innovation at Hyphn Studio, and explore what architecture and design can teach us about the balance between results and relationships. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

Life has a way of surprising us. We can dream, plan and prepare all we want, but sooner or later life is going to throw us a curveball. It could be a problem at work: an unexpected move by a competitor or a downturn in the market. Or it could be a problem at home, like receiving a scary diagnosis out of the blue. Whatever you may be facing, it's not our ability to avoid life's curveballs, but our ability to react and respond to them well that will determine our success as people and as leaders. Join us as we hear from Bill Mosiello—an accomplished baseball coach and hitting instructor—about how handling curveballs is all about the mindset you bring to the plate. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

The way people navigate their careers is evolving. With increased job mobility and more employees spending less time in their roles, it feels easier than ever to make a career change and move from one opportunity to the next. But rather than mindfully running toward opportunities that line up with some clear vision for where they want to be, too many leaders are simply running away from their current situations. And unfortunately, they often end up floating from job to job, experiencing the same dissatisfaction and frustration at every turn. Join us as we talk with licensed counselor Rhys Pasimio about how the psychology behind addictions can shed some light on why it's better for leaders to run toward some clear goal when making a career change, as opposed to simply running from wherever they are now—and what you can do to embrace this better mindset. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

We live in a world that, at least on the surface, seems more connected than ever. Thanks to email, texting, social networking apps and the phones we carry around with us at all times, it has never been easier to communicate with people and get work done. But despite all the positives, there's no doubting that social media and our relationship with our devices has left many people feeling distracted, exhausted and increasingly alienated from the people around them. So, how should leaders navigate this issue, enjoying the benefits of social media without falling prey to the traps that come with it? Join us as psychologist Rachel Kitson helps us see how we can begin to recover true connection in our digital world. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

In both life and leadership, failure is a given. It's something we need to always be prepared for, because even our best-laid plans can go awry. Therefore, your success as a leader is often defined not by your ability to avoid failure, but by your ability to embrace it, learn from it and seize the opportunities it brings. Join us as we hear from rock and alpine guide Jason Martin on how his experiences on the mountain can teach us a thing or two about preparing for failure and handling it well when it inevitably comes our way. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

Whether it's an unhealthy relationship or a failing business strategy, we all face issues both at home and at work that suck the life out of our leadership. And yet, even when it's clear that these things need to go, actually bringing them to an end can be an awkward and painful process, one that many of us would just rather avoid. But if we ever hope to be healthy individuals and effective leaders, learning to embrace endings and see the opportunity they bring will be an essential skill to cultivate. Join us as we hear from Daniel Leavell, a wildfire expert and Oregon State University professor, about how forests need fire to stay healthy and promote growth, and how this natural relationship can help us better understand the necessary role endings can play in our lives and leadership. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

We're back. Welcome to Season 2 of the Building Champions Podcast.  For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

No matter who you are as a leader, you're going to have blind spots. Making the right decisions regarding people, money, organizational focus, and whatever else comes your way is impossible to do alone. And always turning to the same people for advice can lead to stale, repetitive action that doesn't lead to growth. On this episode, we dive into how involving a network of the right kinds of outsiders can do wonders for your leadership - if you're willing to accept the help. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

Trust. It's a simple word that serves as the source of so much fear, difficulty and confusion in our lives. This is especially true at work, where trust between team members isn't always easy to come by. But research shows that trust is perhaps the number one thing that healthy teams have in common, and that unhealthy teams desperately need. But trust requires hard work, vulnerability and commitment. So how do you build it? Join us as we learn from Jeff Gibson—President of Consulting with The Table Group—about why trust is so important and how you and your team can start making it a priority. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

Healthy teams function at their best when every member of the team is supporting one another and working together to make sure the best ideas and solutions are brought to the table. But whether you're a leader or a team member, we've all had experiences where just the opposite occurs. A teammate dominates the conversation with their own ideas, or we become defensive when our own ideas are called into question. In these instances, our fears and insecurities create an unhealthy environment, one where the team stops working together to get things right and instead, we focus on being right and protecting our own egos. Join us as we learn from Adal Rifai—improviser, coach and teacher at Chicago's acclaimed iO Theater—about what the practices of successful improv teams can teach us about how to focus less on being right and start focusing more on what you and your team can do to get it right and achieve better creativity, cohesion and results. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

Most of us treat our minds and our bodies like we treat our phone batteries. We run hard, pushing through without taking breaks, and we wear ourselves down to zero, thinking that whatever sleep we get will be enough to recharge us to 100 percent and prepare us for the next busy day. And we think this is the best way to get things done and succeed in business and in life. But what we don't realize is that our bodies need moments to recharge throughout the day, and stopping to take efficient, purposeful breaks will actually help us to go further, faster in our lives and leadership. Join us as we learn from four-time Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey and wellness expert Patrick Khoo about how you can rethink recharging and start implementing practices that will set you up for success throughout your days and weeks. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

Join Daniel Harkavy and Todd Mosetter as they sit down to reflect on the first half of Season 1, sharing key takeaways and additional stories from their own leadership experience. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

How we start our mornings can have a disproportionate impact on the success we experience throughout the rest of the day. And yet, many of us simply roll out of bed without any clear plan for how to effectively use our mornings. We sleep late and hit the snooze button multiple times, or we grab our phones first thing and dive right into the stress of work. But what if by intentionally setting aside time in the morning to invest in your physical and mental well-being, you could feel more confident and purposeful in both your life and your leadership? Join us as we talk with University of Oregon's Curtis Taylor—Associate Head Coach of their distinguished Track and Field team—as we discover how the routines of competitive sprinters can shed light on how we can design and improve our own morning routines. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

Our brains love simple narratives and black-and-white thinking. But unfortunately for our brains, life is usually never that simple. In many of the decisions we make, both at home and at work, there are often multiple variables at play, there is some important information we do not have access to, and luck can play a big role in how things turn out. And when we try to oversimplify something when it's actually nuanced and complex, our decision-making suffers. Join us as we talk with decision-making expert and former poker player Annie Duke as she highlights the common gaps in our thinking, and what you as a leader can do to embrace uncertainty in your decision-making and get better results. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

We all want to lead lives of purpose, to feel like we are achieving something and moving toward some clear goal. But unfortunately, many of us find this hard to do. In our increasingly fast-paced and complex lives, there are so many things vying for our time and attention that we can easily get caught up in the day-to-day stresses of life and lose sight of the bigger picture. These things add up to form what we call The Drift. The Drift is a subtle force that constantly threatens to pull us off course in our lives and leadership, and if we're not careful, we can end up in a place where we never intended to be. Join us as we explore how, through awareness and intentional planning, you can stop drifting and achieve the results you want in both your life and your leadership. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

The need to belong is a core part of the human experience. We all have a deep desire to be connected to a group and to feel like we're a part of something greater than ourselves. This need is present in all areas of life, including work, and the best leaders know that fostering a sense of belonging in their organizations is crucial for success. Join us as we discover how a dynamic roller derby league in Portland, Oregon has worked to create a powerful culture of belonging—and learn how you can start taking steps to make belongingness an important part of your personal, team and organizational leadership. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast  

Why should roller derby, wilderness survival and professional poker matter to you as a leader? Because each one can teach you a valuable lesson about how to improve the way you lead yourself, your team and your organization. For more information about Building Champions, or to subscribe to the podcast, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast